Saina Nehwal: MSN Sportsperson of the year

Saina’s crowning glory in 2009 was clearly her victory in the Indonesian Open Super Series. The Hyderabadi defeated third seeded Lin Wang in the finals to become the first Indian woman to win a Super Series title. Saina was given the Arjuna Award this year for her achievements.

The 19-year old who is currently ranked eighth in the world also reached the quarter-finals of the World Badminton Championships despite having chicken-pox. One look at her tournament results during the course of the year reveals that her performance was consistent. Her entry into the top-10 in the world is justified by the fact that she managed to make it to the quarters and semis in most of the events.

The lass who trains under the watchful eyes of Indonesian badminton legend Atik Jauhari has now established a benchmark for herself in 2009. With a strong work-ethic and a never-say-die attitude Saina Nehwal is definitely someone to watch out for in 2010.